The invention relates to low-density abrasive articles which are especially suited for cleaning commercial griddles.
A commercial griddle is typically a large expanse of steel mounted in a fixed position above heating elements to provide a large heated surface for frying various foods. Such equipment is common to nearly every restaurant and is in almost continuous use in so-called "fast food" restaurants.
Cleaning the cooking surface of a commercial griddle has been a problem which has defied simple solution. Cooking residues tenaciously adhere to this surface even if attempts are made to clean and scrape food therefrom after each cooking operation.
Repeated use builds and bakes the residues to form an unsightly troublesome carbonized crust. Not only does this crust interfere with cooking, causing subsequently cooked foods to stick and/or to taste burned or of the previously cooked food, but it acts as an insulating layer which interferes with normal cooking operations. Therefore, after an extended period of use, the griddle surface must be cleaned of residues. The usual way to clean a griddle surface is to abrade it with an abrasive article such as a block of pumice or glass foam. Such cleaning is usually done while the griddle is hot and possibly with a lubricating liquid such as oil or soapy water.
Pumice and glass foam blocks are rigid and inflexible and will not conform to the upturned edges of a commercial griddle. Although pumice and glass foam eventually do a moderately good job of cleaning griddle surfaces, they cut the griddle steel excessively, creating minute deep scratches into which the food residues can collect, and are more difficult to remove on subsequent cleaning. Pumice and glass foam also leave large quantities of unsightly attrited residues which must be removed from the griddle surface.
A scrim-backed abrasive product, as disclosed in Ball, U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,725, has met with some commercial success in use as a griddle cleaner but this product is not entirely satisfactory because of its relatively thin structure which fills easily with residues and makes it difficult to handle. Thicker nonwoven abrasive products such as described in Hoover et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,593, which may at first be thought to be useful on griddle surfaces, are comprised of thermoplastic fibers which will collapse under normal griddle cleaning operations which, as previously stated, are typically accomplished while the griddle is hot.